Setsuko Ogishi.
“Glassblowing is physical work using the whole body, but in harmony with the heart and communicating with the brain.
Glass cools down and gets hard quickly. When hot (around 1,000°C), it moves and falls off towards the ground, as is the nature of gravity. Glass does not wait for us. Once we start making a piece we have to complete this hot work process in reasonable time before the artist is exhausted. We cannot walk away in the middle of making a piece to have a break for a cup a coffee. We must finish.
The glassblower needs to practice nearly everyday to keep her skills and improve - even after many years there is always something new to learn and to discover. Most pieces need more than two hands and sometimes four people or more work together to make one piece.
The glassblowing itself is a small part of the process. Prior to blowing, I can spend a day mixing colours to create the look I want. The preparation and finishing work needed to complete a piece takes a huge amount of time.
After much practice and experience, my hands work seemingly automatically to complete the process. As an artist I give love and care to the piece every time, every moment, even if I make a similar piece a hundred times, like sporting champions if they want to win the game, or musicians if they truly want to make people happy”.
